The present invention relates to combining a device that covers the ears, such as headphones, with some form of eye protection device, such as sunglasses, in such a manner that the invention allows both the ear covering device and the eyewear to be worn simultaneously, while providing full efficaciousness for both devices.
Many sorts of individuals wear ear protection devices such as headphones. Construction workers may wear earmuffs to protect themselves from loud machinery noises, which, if not guarded against, could destroy hearing. Likewise, hunters may wear earmuffs to protect their hearing from the loud reports associated with their firearms. Skiers wear earmuffs to protect their ears from the cold. Grounds crewmen at airfields or on aircraft carriers likewise wear earmuffs to protect their hearing from the roar of jet engines as the jets maneuver about the airfield. Pilots and other aviators may likewise wear headphones, albeit for perhaps a different reason. In general, the headsets of aviators double as ear protection and as a communications device. The headphones act as speakers through which the aviators may hear instructions such as from an air traffic control tower or the like. Other professions may also wear headsets. In general, these headsets, whether for protection, communications, or some other desired purpose, come in a number of shapes and sizes. However, it is common for these devices to have a cushion or resilient member, which completely encompasses the ear, forming a seal therearound, and a band, which arches over the head of the wearer, helping hold the set in a desired position.
In addition to headsets, many of these people may also wear some form of eye protection. Construction workers may have safety goggles to prevent debris from getting in their eyes. Hunters wear glasses to protect themselves from ejected shells, vented hot gases, and also as glare protection on sunny days. Skiers wear goggles to keep snow from their eyes and reduce glare from the snow. Likewise, aviators and grounds crewmen may wear sunglasses or prescription glasses in the course of their work. Besides traditional eyewear, aviators may sometimes wear hoods to help them in instrument training sessions. While not eye protection per se, these hoods are eyewear of sorts.
Traditionally, glasses are formed from a lens holding mechanism and a pair of temples that are adapted to slide over the ear of the user. Some temples may curl over and behind the ear, while others may merely extend straight back along the side of the head, resting on the cartilage joining the external ear to the head. If the eyewear has a temple that slides over the ear, and the eyewear is worn with a headset, a number of undesirable things may happen. The seal of the headset around the ear may be broken, thereby allowing ear injuring noise, cold, or other environmental hazards into the headset, defeating its purpose. Also, the temple may be pressed against the side of the head of the wearer, causing discomfort. The pressure of the headset may, over time, deform the temple, such that the eyewear is no longer suitable for wearing.
One solution to these problems is the use of a flexible, head-encircling xe2x80x9ctemple,xe2x80x9d coupled to the eyewear such as is sometimes seen on vision-impaired athletes. Thus, an elastic band encircles the head of the wearer, holding the glasses in place during vigorous activity. As a general solution, these devices work fine. However, these devices should be positioned about the head of the wearer prior to donning any headset. Thus, if at some subsequent point, the wearer wishes to remove the eyewear, he or she must doff the headset, remove the eyewear and subsequently re-don the headset. This is a time consuming and annoying process. Alternatively, the individual may not initially need the eyewear, but desire to don it at some later time, such as a pilot not wearing sunglasses until cloud cover has been cleared. In these situations, the headset must be removed, the eyewear put in position, and the headset put back on. Again, this process is annoying, time consuming, and for a busy pilot who may have his hands relatively full flying the plane, perhaps dangerous.
There remains a need for a form of eyewear that is compatible with a headset; that does not require the wearer to remove the headset when donning or doffing the eyewear; and that may be retrofitted to existing headsets without great expense, as these headsets may be relatively expensive, especially in the case of aviators"" and hunters"" headsets.
The problems of the prior art are addressed by providing a headset with a part of a fastener available on an outside surface thereof. The fastener mates with a complementary portion of the fastener positioned proximate the terminal end of a flexible temple of the eyewear. Thus, the headset may be positioned properly over the ears of the wearer, and the eyewear may be attached to the headset at a later time without removing the headset.
An alternate embodiment of the invention comprises a kit for retrofitting eyewear to an existing headset. In this embodiment, the eyewear portion remains the same. However, the kit includes the fasteners that may be attached to the headset. In particular, the fasteners may include an adhesive that may be applied to the headset such that a portion of the fastener may be secured to the headset.
The type of fastener may be varied amongst many that exist. In particular, fasteners such as a hook-and-loop fastener, a snap, a button, and the like may be used. Flexible material for the temples may also be varied amongst many acceptable materials. A durable fabric or plastic material may be particularly well suited for the present invention. The eyewear may vary between sunglasses, prescription glasses, prescription sunglasses, protective eyewear without prescription qualities, a training hood, goggles, or the like as needed or desired. The headsets may be varied between earmuffs such as hunters use, earmuffs such as skiers use, headsets that pilots use, protective earwear such as construction workers may use, portable radio headsets, or the like as needed or desired.
An alternate embodiment includes using the eyewear as described on a helmet rather than a set of headphones.
By securing the eyewear to the outside of the headset, the seal created around the ear is maintained. Further, the individual may doff or don the eyewear without having to remove the headset.